Coke for a Birthday Present, Part 4
by Emmeline Springs
Summary: In the last part of the *Coke for a Birthday Present* Saga, there are so many twists and turns in the road to happiness for Rachel and Patton. When a fork in the road comes, which way will they go?


Rachel stood in the hospital doorway of Numbuh 60's room in the hospital. Room 60, St. Clarine's Hospital, 422 Masian Street. Her blue eyes were wide with disbelief and desperation as she whispered his name… the name of the very thing she lived for.

She closed her eyes and fell into a nearby chair, trying to push the sounds of the hustle and bustle round her love's body as the doctors tried to save his life. She would let nothing flaw her last memories of him.

"Don't let him die," she whispered, the words rolling off her tongue before she could stop them. Her body, weak with grief and concentration, gave one last jolt before she knew she could not fight. She knew that she had to open her eyes, to see him again. Even in his current state, at least he was still alive.

Her eyes were halfway open when the heart monitor went blank and a loud, shrill _beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_ filled the room.

Her eyes closed again and the monitor went silent, not another sound to be heard.

He room was silent as the doctors left, knowing that they could do nothing more to help their patient and not caring. Not one of them even saw her there, as still and almost lifeless as he had just been. She was simply a manikin, for the heart that kept her alive had been ripped out. Her mouth was set in a hard line and her skin was smooth and colorless. Her clothes were rumpled and ragged and her hair was tangled from wind. Her overall appearance was scruffy, yet she could feel not a thing, not a thing without hurting. And she knew that if she let herself hurt, it would hurt too much to bear…

One small but shrill beep startled her eyes opened and sent her chest to throbbing.

"Rachel," came a muffled voice, moaning in pain but filled with love.

She gave a shriek of joy and leapt over to his bed. "Patton!" she squeaked, tears of happiness flowing down her face. Her cheeks flooded with color and her eyes became sparkly again, the smile on her lips soon meeting the smile on his.

"You're alive," she told him quietly, leaning back from the kiss. "You're alive!"

A doctor ran into the room and took a look at what was going on before shouting over his shoulder, "He's still alive!"

The room was suddenly so crowded with doctors that the two lovebirds were separated.

"You'll have to leave the room, Miss," said a doctor, directing her towards the door.

She spun around and grabbed his wrist, twisting it back and hissing, "I just thought that the love of my life died and when I found out he was living, got separated from him. I'm _not leaving his room_."

"Alright, Miss!" said the doctor, gasping. "Just let me go!"

"Got it," she said, pushing him away from her and sitting in the same chair she had sat in before. "I'll just wait here."

"You're kidding, right?" she asked him, her eyes wide and her hands shaking. "You can't honestly be quitting the KND, I mean, you were the one who said that if we were going to be together that it wouldn't be an obstacle, how can you be backing out n-"

"Shhhh," he said, placing a finger on her lips to quiet her. "You heard the doctor. I'm never going to have use of my legs again-if I stick with the KND, I'll only be a hazard to them."

"How can you even _say_ that?" she asked him, her voice jumping an octave. "A hazard? But I love you! I was looking for you to tell you when you got hit, you know that! So why-"

"Because _I_ love _you_," he said gently, "And I'm not about to put you in danger just because I was stupid enough to not look before crossing the street."

"But your memory will be erased," she whimpered, putting her head in her hands. "You won't remember me. You won't remember our love. You'll forget all about me, all about us-"

"Hey," he said, getting her to stop and look at him. He placed his hand under his chin and tilted it to kiss her shortly. "I will _never_ forget you."

Yet she could not calm down, her own heart running a marathon as she hyperventilated, wishing that she was dreaming and that she'd just _wake up_ from this _nightmare_…

"I love you," he whispered, closing his eyes and laying back on his hospital cot. "Nothing can make that perish."

She smiled, but it felt off on her face. "It's the medicine they have you on," she decided out loud. "It's making you loony-"

"Even when I was drunk, I loved you," he said, his eyes still closed and his heart rate still calm and even, interrupting her. "And even if it was the medicine, I'd still love you. I do still love you. Which is why I'm quitting. So go ahead, erase my memory. But I'll never forget you."

She felt her body stop working as she realized that not only was he leaving the KND, he was leaving her.

"Don't," she suddenly wept, her face back in her hands and her body shaking with tears. "Don't do this to me! You think you're doing this for me, but you're not! You're just quitting so you don't have to try so hard when you're in a wheelchair, you don't care about me!"

"Is that rally how you see me- see _us_?" he asked incredulously, his heart rate speeding up slightly and his eyes flying open to meet hers.

"What 'us'?" She demanded, knowing she had gone too far when his face became tortured and tears started in his eyes.

It was hardly a second before she was apologizing to him again, knowing that his torture would take only seconds to infect her too.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes and shaking her head, listening to his heart calm down again. "I didn't mean it. I just… this is what I was scared of! Something would happen and we couldn't be together-"

"Hey!" he demanded of her. She opened her eyes and looked upon him with curiosity. "How many times do I have to say it? _I will never forget you_! It's impossible!"

She knew hat it could not be true, but she nodded as if she agreed now. It seemed to please him as a nurse walked in and asked him, "Time for more pain meds, Patton?"

He nodded silently and lied back and Rachel left the room.

"How's he doing?" she asked Lizzie, opening the door into the dark room and taking a cautious step inside.

"He doesn't remember any of us," said Lizzie's voice from the far corner. "Except… he keeps saying your name."

Rachel's hand involuntarily flipped the lights on and Lizzie looked at her in surprise. She did not register the look as she crossed the room to Patton, who was sitting in his wheelchair in the opposite corner of Lizzie. His eyes were glazed and confused, but as soon as he looked at her, they showed recognition.

"Rachel," he said slowly.

She smiled and nodded, opening her arms to meet his as their lips met once again, as they would for the rest of their lives.


End file.
